Ideas This Week
Ideas This Week is your hub for updates on all things Facing History—from announcements and featured press to expert interviews, impact stories, and essays on the ideas driving our work.
We Learn by Doing and Reflecting: Civic Voice and Action
Discover best practices on cultivating your students’ voices and facilitating civic action projects.
![Image of youth from KQED Youth Media Challenge event](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/CallForChange-Lockup.jpg?h=4c6c0eb8&itok=0Bah1OEZ)
Now Is the Time to Support History Education
The study of history equips students with the tools to create a more inclusive and democratic future.
![Facing History CEO Desmond Blackburn speaking at the 2023 South Bay Fundraiser](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-06/DSC_1303.jpg?h=43f56d19&itok=B0POijLF)
“The world is obligated to you and you are obligated to the world.”
Lucie Shiffman believes community care extends to all humans, a lesson she first encountered in her Facing History high school class.
![Lucie Shiffman Headshot](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Lucie_Shiffman_Headshot%20%28FH2201031%29.jpg?h=89d58293&itok=RMtwhoE4)
Black Woman Personhood and the Fifteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment did not secure the vote for women, and as the suffrage movement grew, the dominant conversations excluded Black women.
![black and white portrait of poet and essayist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 1825-1911](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Frances_Ellen_Watkins_Harper_Website.jpg?h=a8ba1c68&itok=Ib5L1ajx)
Aliens in Their Own Land: The Incarceration of Japanese Americans
When racism and discrimination are deployed as national security measures, how can a nation make amends?
![An obelisk memorial with Japanese Kanji characters that read “Soul Consoling Tower.”](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Manzanar_NHS_memorial_tower_3_0.jpg?h=9a3874b6&itok=pQmA5i7X)
A Conversation on the Complexities of Teaching Black History
Two Facing History staff members have a dialogue about what they’ve learned teaching Black history coming from different lived experiences.
![United through their diversity - hands of various colors forming a circle](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/United%20through%20their%20diversity%20-%20hands%20of%20various%20colors%20forming%20a%20circle%20%28FH2187570%29.jpg?h=a7ec3e08&itok=3O6JVY1Q)
Educators Have the Power to Strengthen Democracy
See how Facing History's civics education resources strengthen students' civic skills and attitudes about democratic participation.
![Teacher And Students having a discussion](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/SL_190522_0014.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=gP64QyiG)
Remembering Toni Morrison
In her 88 years, Toni Morrison left an indelible impact on the world of literature through her acclaimed work as a writer, editor, and educator and her insights into African American life.
![Toni_Morrison_2008 at a podium (FH2200805)](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-02/Toni_Morrison_2008%20%28FH2200805%29.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=wid9wjJR)
Bring Black History into Your Classroom throughout the Year
History is full of fascinating threads to follow. Discover stories and lessons that will capture your students’ interest during Black History Month.
![Abstract Art](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/Black_History_Month_Abstract_Togetherness_African_American_Black_Ethnicities_Marching_Celebrate_Community_Strength_Activism_Equality_Diversity_Generative_AI_Tools_Technology_illustration.jpg?h=9e16a70f&itok=qO2W3ZBG)
Inclusive Leadership: Listen with Intention
Facing History’s President and CEO reflects on his personal journey of learning to listen to others and why listening is just a powerful act.
![Desmond K. Blackburn, PhD at a lectern in front of a Facing History backdrop](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2024-01/1201-FAC-111223Hechler.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=V1DbrLaP)
Exploring Black History through Black Poets
Engage with the powerful voices of Black poets and the rich history of poetry during Black History Month and beyond.
![black notebook and pen](/sites/default/files/styles/dynamic_stack_296_1x/public/2023-04/blackPoetry.jpg?h=4362216e&itok=JdZbuFgb)